


All We Have

by hmweasley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Banned Together Bingo, F/M, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Married Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Pre-Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:06:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27360175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmweasley/pseuds/hmweasley
Summary: Draco finally agrees to have a child, even if it means shortening Astoria's life.
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy
Kudos: 23
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	All We Have

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts:  
> Banned Together Bingo - Negativity  
> Hogwarts - Write about someone having to make an important decision.

Astoria’s explanation for why she wanted a child ran through Draco’s mind. He didn’t understand why she was so passionate about it. When she’d first raised the idea of having a child, he had been horrified. Every Healer they’d seen at St Mungo’s had agreed that carrying a child would weaken Astoria’s health and help the curse spread faster than it would otherwise. She was still healthy enough that pregnancy wouldn’t kill her immediately, but the consensus was that it would shorten her life considerably. That was more than Draco was willing to risk.

At least, it had been at first. Sitting in front of the fire, Astoria’s arguments faded from his thoughts. Instead, Draco remembered the look in her eyes when she’d been speaking to him about a potential child. There had been a spark there that reminded him of the time she’d said that she was determined to marry him no matter what his family thought of her. 

She wanted a child. It wasn’t just a sense of obligation for her like Draco had first imagined, a way of still trying to get on his parents’ good side. No matter that a child would kill her faster, it would also make her happier. Draco knew his wife well enough to know that she wouldn’t regret it once it was done. This was something she was confident in.

He wanted her to live for as long as possible, but he also wanted her to be happy. He hadn’t been prepared to choose between them.

His feet were carrying him towards her before his conscious brain even realized that he’d come to a decision. He found her where he had left her: in front of the fire in their bedroom. Tears that hadn’t been there when he left shone in her eyes. Draco knelt before her, clasping their hands together in her lap.

“Let’s have a baby,” he said, his voice shaking.

Perhaps he wasn’t yet confident in the idea, but as long as she didn’t regret it, he wouldn’t either. It was a decision they were making together.

A laugh escaped her lips as she threw her arms around him.

“Thank you,” she muttered into his shoulder.

He felt her tears break free and begin to wet his robes, but he didn’t let go of her. Their time was limited after all, and he would cherish the time that he had with her, however long that time was.

And once she was gone, he supposed that he would cherish his remaining time with their child. Fear gripped him as he considered the idea in a new way he’d never really let himself think of before.

He’d be a single father.

The thought made him pull away from her, his eyes wide with fear.

“I don’t think I can be a good father,” he whispered.

Astoria’s smile turned gentle as she cradled his cheek.

“We’ll learn together,” she promised, pulling him back into a hug.

Draco smiled. He wasn’t sure that he believed that. Astoria, of course, would be an excellent parent, but no matter her reassurances, he had little confidence in himself. He would do what he could though. With her while she was there and by himself once she was gone.

That was all he could do.


End file.
